Wednesday, August 10, 2011

‘Jazz, to me, is like loving God’


Jazz drummer, composer and arranger Vusi Khumalo is listed in the annals of music history among a group of South African musicians who originally paired up for the recording of Paul Simon’s seminal Graceland album, which marks its 25th anniversary this Friday.

Back in 2000, Khumalo stepped out of the world of side men when he released his debut album, Follow Your Dream, whose single “Dusk to Dawn” became the theme song for e.tv’s soapie, Backstage. The album was nominated for both the Kora Awards and the South African Music Awards (Sama).

He has just launched his second solo album, Reasons for Seasons, which features an interestingly young pool of talented Mzansi breeds.

The double-disc album took almost four years to produce and includes artists like RJ Benjamin, Zwai Bala and Lebo Mashile.

“Working with young people was not a conscious decision but a natural progression. I met Vuyo Manyike, the bass player, when he was still at school and he always wanted to play with me,” he said.

“Putting this album together was tough but worth it. It was also about giving these talented youngsters an opportunity to explore with me, and some of these youngsters are willing to cross boundaries and limitations – they experiment.”

Reasons for Seasons effortlessly reconciles the gap between traditional jazz and urban music and also pays homage to Molelekwa through a song called “Zolile”, dedicated to his daughter.

Khumalo helped to launch the solo career of the late composer and pianist, Moses Molelekwa.

The Johannesburg-born drummer doesn’t offer a generic or an extended definition when it comes to music.

“I celebrate music without boundaries, music with elements of different jazz textures, influenced by my global experiences and playing with musicians with different influences.”

The softly spoken Khumalo revealed that being a God-fearing person has highly influenced his music and the way in which he leads his life.

“Jazz, to me, is like loving God. You know and understand the truth. It expands talent and knowledge of life. There is always something new to learn from the same song listened to for years. Other genres can do that but jazz is the ultimate.” In the morethan three decades of his music career, Khumalo has graced countless fine albums and performed with an endless list of music giants, including Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Bheki Mseleku, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Allen Kwela, Abdullah Ibrahim, Chucho Valdes, Yossour N’dour, Bob Baldwin, Donald Harrison and Carl Anderson.

His band, Dondo, which won the Sama 2004 contemporary jazz award, is a project that mentors talented young artists.

The artist with a weakness for clothes and shopping reckons the experiences gained touring the world with the legendary Masekela shaped him to be a “good person” and made him understand the complexities of music and the dangers that come with it.

“Playing with him (Masekela) was great and at first I didn’t understand the things he did – it was as if I was talking and relating to a drunken person because he was so removed from us.

“I saw how cocaine changes people and it was as if he was always in a bubble. Playing with Bra Hugh was a highlight for me and my career but I did not feel the performances because the main man wasn’t there with us.

“I felt like he was looking down on me in a way but now I understand, it wasn’t him but the drugs.”

For Khumalo, the journey to a music career began with small steps from the tender age of five. Already at that stage he was listening to the best jazz musicians and entertainers of that era, carrying a 45” vinyl of Jimmy Smith’s “Mojo” to school and, when he had time to spare, he would sit outside the late legendary saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi’s house to hear him playing his saxophone.

“I can still clearly remember how I loved ‘Mojo’ and how I grew up with a lot of South African jazz, which is what I do today. But I have also grown to appreciate and create global sounds,” he says.

Khumalo’s first musical instrument was the bugle, which he played in a drum majorette band in his Soweto neighbourhood, before becoming a snare drummer for them. There he rubbed shoulders with musical greats such as Victor Ntoni, who started running formal classes for musicians who wanted to learn the technical aspects of the art, and Nelson Magwaza, who was a renowned drummer at that time. He insists, however, that he is a musician and doesn’t want to be labelled as a drummer.

“I don’t see myself as a drummer first but as a musician first and I am inspired by composers.

“My father was an active musician, who arranged for big bands and that is my main influence. Kippie Moeketsi lived across from my house and knowing that he was a band leader and a composer drew my passion. Just before he died he asked me to play drums on his set without even practising – it was the last time I saw him,” he said.

Khumalo says it’s difficult being a jazz musician in South Africa because there’s simply no support for the craft.

“As a jazz musician in this country you need to be versatile and explore new genres.”

Before we conclude our chat, he lets it slip that he has some tours lined up in places like the USA and Europe.



Zwelakhe Shangase @ thenewage.co.za